Pines Vs Pines
by anxresi
Summary: The arrival of Stanford Pines at the Mystery Shack has caused serious friction,with everyone trying to get used to the new living arrangement. But what happens when Mabel learns something maybe she shouldn't...?SERIOUS DRAMA, that's what. Follow up to Dungeons, Dungeons & More Dungeons and The Stanchurian Candidate. It references a couple of illustrations by the FANTASTIC markmak.
1. Chapter 1

(This story contains reference to a couple of illustrations by the brilliant markmak, but most of the inspiration is my own. I MAY make two or three chapters, or just leave this as a standalone. It depends if I think I can add anything worthwhile to what I've already written down. Remember, as our Lord and Master Mr Hirsch says: "I'm more interested in quality, than quantity". And now... What you've all be waiting for) :)

There had been a subtle change in the atmosphere of the still-being-repaired Mystery Shack.

Wendy didn't notice it... She was too busy hanging with her friends Nate, Lee, Tambry, Thompson and (somewhat surprisingly) Robbie. Making the most of her time off, she didn't have a care in the world.

The tension went straight above Soos's head too. Either the loveable man-child was staying true to his nature of seeing the best in everyone, when he wasn't too busy with his'cool' new hobby of FCLORPing (which had been indefinitely suspended, following the mysterious disappearence of one Toby Determined...)

But Dipper, Mabel and Stanley sensed a change in the air. Up until now, the permanent residents of the ramshackle building had got along quite nicely, and even the revelations about a lost dimension-hopping brother that Stanley had kept from his niece and nephew had failed to permeate the trio's bond that had been established that summer.

The problem was not Stanley's SECRET itself, but the SUBJECT of it... His gone-for-three-decades sibling, Stanford Pines, or as if he was referred to by a now frozen shapeshifter, 'that six fingered nerd'.

In fact the same criticism could be levelled at Dipper himself (minus the extra digit) which probably explains why the young boy was so taken with Ford's journal No 3... Which he had literally read to death before the man he'd been waiting so long to meet had emerged after a 30 year hiatus (Almost as long as the gap between new episodes of Gravity Falls).

Since their first encounter... And Dipper's discovery of journals 1 & 2, completing the set... Ford had become somewhat of a hero-worship target for the pre-teen. At first amused by the attention, Ford initially rebuffed Dipper's advances due to the time-consuming nature of his research (Plus, because to a promise he had made to his estranged brother than he wouldn't involve his dangerous scientific affairs with his niece and nephew, thus keeping them out of danger).

But thanks to an accidental tumble through the foundations of the Mystery Shack, and the discovery of a mutual love of statistical role playing games involving LOTS of dice, the pair had found a true kinship.

After an unfortunate incident involving the eccentric, evil wizard of said game coming to life and almost eating their brains, in which their lives were barely saved thank to Stanley's risk-taking, Mabel's imagination and a stick of chewing gum, Dipper's Grunkel had reluctantly allowed the duo to hang out. Either to keep the peace, or because he couldn't resist his nephew's hangdog expression. Who knows?

What IS certain now, is Stanley's relaxation of the rules he established has led to some wide-reaching reprecussions.

It started with Dipper. Him and his sister used to be inseparable... Always together, like two peas in a pod. He would've do anything for her, and vice versa. They'd saved each other's lives on numerous occasions that summer alone, and despite their complete opposites in personalities and interests, there was never a closer brother and sister than those twins.

Until, Grunkle Ford entered the scene.

Now, on Dipper's end, it was all "Sorry Mabel, me and Ford need to finish this dungeon." or "Sorry, Mabel, Ford wants my help in his laboratory." Now Dipper had found someone who had almost the exact same temprament and hobbies as him, he apparently didn't need his big sister around anymore.

At least, she still had Grenda and Candy. And Waddles, of course.

But she missed the way her twin and herself used to goof off together. She missed the little things, like silly string fights, or tickle battles (She ALWAYS won both). She missed most of all, when they would go out and solve mysteries together... His sarcastic cynicism, vs her upbeat optimism. It was a perfect blend.

All gone, now.

They hadn't even had an awkward sibling hug for over a week.

This was unheard of.

She DID love having two Stans around, really. She even said so in a letter to her parents. (Dipper was far less sentimental when it came to keeping contact... He just sent them an email, usually consisting of less than a dozen words).

But, it was an undeniable fact that Ford's presence... Had somehow upset the harmonic balance around the place, whether intentionally or not.

And, she didn't like it.

She needed to talk to someone.

Candy and Grenda were good at discussing hot boys and hotter fashion with, but pretty useless with family matters. Waddles would oink and appear to be paying attention, but would soon fall asleep in the middle of their conversations. Gompers was the worst of all... He had a habit of chewing her hair, and staring blankly into the distance with those weird yellow eyes of his.

All useless.

Then, she hit on an idea.

What about Stanley himself? He may not exactly be in his brother's good graces at the moment, and the two had barely spoken since Ford appeared on that fateful day.

But, they gew up together. Surely, Grunkle Stan would know SOMETHING that would help Mabel get her brother's attention again, to get him away from that...

Well, it's not like she was JEALOUS or anything. Of course not.

She found Stanley perusing over his latest issue of Gold Chains For Old Men, sitting at his desk, mumbling to himself. Funny, she thought he'd be in a better mood, considering the grand re-re-opening of the Mystery Shack was due in a few days...

No matter. Without announcing her arrival, she skipped into the room, and made herself comfortable at the chair opposite to him.

"Hi, Grunkle Stan!" She announced to her slightly startled elderly relative, who hastily put down his magazine to look across the table at his niece, while adjusting his fez.

"Oh hello sweetheart, what can I do for you?" The owner of the shack gave her a genuinely warm smile. Her sappy ways may sometimes grate on his nerves a little, but the old curmudgeon had a true soft spot in his withered old heart for the buoyant girl.

"I wanted to talk to you about Grunkle Ford..." Mabel started her sentence.

"NO, NO!" Stanley harshly cut her off, his wrinkled features now firmly locked in a frown. "It's bad enough having your brother hang around with him 24/7, I'm not going to lose you too. If you've got any sense kid, you'll stay out of that room anyway. Who knows what boring stuff those two geeks are talking about? Come and sit on your Grunkle Stan's lap kid... You can help me pick out a new medallion". He grinned again, and patted his knee in expectation.

Mabel felt concerned. SOMETHING had obviously upset him, and she needed to find out what it was. Just so her smile chart was in sync.

But, for a change, she decided to be selfish and regale him with her problems first. So, ignoring his welcoming lap, she walked right up to Stanley, took his hand, and said in her sternest voice:

"Grunkle Stan! This is important. Me and Dipper... We've never been apart for this long before. I know I should be pleased that Dipstick has finally found a friend nerdy enough to hang out with him... But, he hardly ever even TALKS to me now. It feels like I'm sharing a room with a stranger. Please, you've gotta help me... Is there ANYTHING you can tell me that could lessen the grip your brother has on him? I don't mean to sound envious, but..."

Mabel was suddenly interrupted by Stanley's arms around her thick mane of hair, as he bent down to comfort his niece with a bearhug that could almost rival the sweater-wearer's own method of affection.

"Looks like you and me are in exactly the same boat, kid." Stanley told her (Although, internally he was wincing at his choice of words). "I was discussing this very topic with myself when you came in... Eerr... Not that I'm going crazy or anything, you understand. I haven't seen much of the boy much myself of late... And I don't understand... What HAS that brainiac brother of mine got, that I haven't?" Stanley grinned confidentally to himself.

(Mabel WAS tempted to say "A college degree", but of course, she was nowhere near that mean-spirited.)

"I don't know... All I can tell you is... I miss the old days... When it was just us... And Wendy... And Soos..." Mabel sniffled a bit, wiping her face in Stanley's black overcoat. "I'm not saying I want to send Grunkle Ford back to wherever he came from, but..." She struggled to finish that sentence.

Stanley didn't seem to take offence to that... He simply nodded sagely, while holding her close. "Don't worry sweetheart, I know exactly what you mean. Only this morning, I was walking downstairs, and I heard the sound of dice rolling. Your brother and mine are STILL playing that dumb Dungeons game, even after all the trouble it got them into last time. Tell you what... If they end up getting kidnapped by another mad mathematical wizard, they're on their own. He can eat their brains a la carte, for all I care..."

Stanley frowned again recounting this memory, but stopped after seeing the concerned look on his niece's face. He felt rather guilty all of a sudden, and nervously patted her on the head.

"Eerr..., Only joking darling, of course I would never let that happen. Anyway, what I wanted to say was, me and my brother used to have a secret handclap when things were going our way... A 'High Six' we called it... You know, on account of the fact he has six fingers. Very funny. Hardy har har. He didn't try that greeting with anyone else. But, the minute I walked in..."

Stanley grit his mouth."HIGH SIX! He was doing our signature move with YOUR brother. YOUR BROTHER... Who he's only known for about a week... And they're already such bosom buddies that Stanford's taught him our secret handclap. THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR HANDCLAP! HOW COULD HE GIVE IT AWAY SO EASILY?!" At this point, Stanley was beginning to get more and more irate, and in doing so was accidentally crushing poor Mabel into a nice shade of blue.

"ALRIGHT GRUNKLE STAN! I GET IT!" Mabel gasped for breath, her ribs nearing cracking at the pressure with which Stanley was applying.

Her great uncle, suddenly snapped out of his anger episode by her cries of pain, quickly released her from his firm grasp, before sheepishly looking at her wheezing form in an apologetic way.

"Oh, I'm really sorry Mabel" he told her... It's just... This whole thing is not what I expected, at all when I found my brother again, after so many years of searching. I thought we'd all be together, as one big happy family, doing stuff that other families do for the rest of the summer. Paintballing... Go-Karting... Playing poker for high-stakes, you know, that kind of thing. Little did I know it would cause it would cause such a rift... Perhaps it would have better for everyone, if I'd just left hi..."

"NO, DON'T SAY THAT! DON'T EVER SAY THAT!" Mabel had recovered from her unannounced squeezing and had pounced on Stanley's words with a new fervour." You might be going through a rough pa... Okay, a VERY rough patch at the moment with him, but he's your brother! You still love each other despite your differences, just like how I and Dipper love each other. We've just gotta keep persevering... One day, those two geeks will bore each other senseless, then we'll be waiting for them with open arms, warm towels, and a fresh, new friendship sweater to try on!"

Mabel let out a brace-filled grin at the thought, and Stanley could only marvel at the girl's knack of cheering him up. How is it, she could always find the right thing to say to make the sun shine, no matter how bleak the situation? He owed her so much she'd never realise... It was down, after all, to her never-ending faith in him that Stanford even came back.

And the best thing about the girl? She didn't know how special she truly was. She would aid anyone without asking for anything in return, then go merrily on her way... That person's cheerfulness being reward enough for her. How blessed he was to have a niece like her.

Stanley laughed, and put his hands on her shoulders. "You're right. I shouldn't let this worry me so much. We might be different in so many ways, but there is ONE thing we all have in common. We're ALL Pines... And we'll always come through for one another, no matter how dissimilar we may be on the surface. I mean, it's not like they're keeping an incredibly dangerous, scary secret from us that could rupture the world as we know it, is it?" he laughed again.

Mabel, feeling much better, and ready to leave her Grunkle's loving embrace to update her Smile Chart to fine 'n' dandy, stopped in her tracks. She remembered something... A brief peek she got at a diagram Dipper was drawing in Journal No 3, while she was knitting her latest masterpiece... He'd tried to cover up his illustration, but she'd caught the briefest of glimpses of it.

What was it the page had said... Something about an Inter-Dimensional Rift Whatsit Thingie? All big words... And she didn't really understand them. But they did sound pretty important... And she wondered if she should tell her Grunkle about them.

Would she be betraying her brother's trust? Well, he hadn't told her NOT to tell anyone... And part of her WAS still desperate to get his attention, so...

"Well"... Mabel hesitantly started her sentence...


	2. Chapter 2

"STANFORD!" The door to the laboratory crashed open, as Stanley marched through. He looked as if someone had taken the contents of his till, stolen his lucky quarter, or taken a whizz in his favourite fez.

Or, you could say, he was a little ticked off.

Dipper and Ford, who were enjoying a nice, quiet game of Dungeons, Dungeons & More Dungeons (this time without any accompanying magical devices) looked up in surprise at this interruption. Ford was about to zap his great-nephew's hobgoblin wizard with his Wand of Electrickery for 1000 hit points due to a lucky 48/50 throw, and the pre-teen was determining about whether or not to counteract with the Shield of Absorption.

It was a true nailbiter.

As the rampaging form of his older brother came into view, Ford decided to find out the reason behind this unscheduled disturbance. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS STANL... AARGH!" The genius inventor was abruptly cut off by his sibling's fist connecting with his nose, much to the consternation of a watching Dipper.

As a dazed Ford lay on the dusty floor, adjusting his now cracked glasses, Stanley continued to tower over him, ready to dish out more punishment.

"GET UP AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN!" The proprietor of the Mystery Shack snarled. "COME ON... JUST YOU AND ME!" Dipper had seen his older Grunkle cross before ( mostly when the boy screwed up on doing simple chores, which was a regular occurance) but nothing like THIS.

Thinking that he could somehow help, the pre-teen decided to get involved to try and keep the peace... Even if he had no idea what this little feud was all about.

"STAN!" Dipper yelled, running towards him and knocking the now long forgotten board game over in the process." LEAVE HIM ALONE! YOU KNOW HE'S GOT NO CHANCE AGAINST YOU IN A.."

"STAY OUT OF THIS, BOY!" Stanley roughly pushed Dipper away, while still keeping his eyes trained on his brother, like a sniper about to fire.

Dipper stumbled a little, but still managed to maintain his footing. He was still shocked, though. 'Boy' he internally repeated to himself. Stan had never addressed him so coldly before. He wondered what could have gone on between the two, to make him so...

His thoughts were interrupted by him spotting a pair of terrified hazel eyes just around the corner, along with a shaking sweater sleeve with a girl attached to it. 'Who could that be?' Dipper sarcastically thought, as he made his way over there, determined to get some answers from his older sibling.

He was about to ask her just what the hell was going on, but one look at her face made him pause. His sister looked absolutely distraught about something... She was on the verge of crying, as small rivulets of water gathered at the edge of her pupils. And when she spoke, it was hard to make out what was being said, for her emotional state was quite frigid.

"D-d-d-dipper, I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-so s-s-s-sorry". she sobbed, as she grabbed hold of her brother's chest, and held on as if for dear life. "I-i-i-it's a-a-a-all m-m-m-my f-f-f-fault..."" She continued to stutter, smothering herself into Dipper's T-shirt for comfort.

Deciding to take on the role of big brother once again (Although, the truth was somewhat different. About five minutes difference.) Dipper began to pat Mabel's back, while adopting a calm tone to his voice. "There, there. Now I'm sure this is just a simple misunderstanding. Tell me what happened... And I'm sure we can work this out... Together."

Mabel lifted up her head briefly, to look into her sibling's eyes. It was just like the old days... When he would sit with her under the bed during a nasty thunderstorm... When he would stick up for her as the kids called her a silly baby... Even here, during their vacation at Gravity Falls, he'd alwayss been there... Saving her life more than once. He truly was the best little Bro-Bro a twelve year old girl could ask for.

That's why what she was about to tell him was going to be all the more painful.

"D-d-d-dipper..." she started, wiping some stray tears away "I...I...I...I was jealous. I...I...I...I didn't want to see you spend all your time with Ford. I...I...I...I missed all the fun we had together. I...I...I...I was lonely. T...t...t...that's why I..." She hesitated, unable to finish.

Dipper gave her a half smile. So THAT'S what this was all about. "Mabel, I've known you all my life. We see each other every day. I've only just met Ford... And we have SO much in common... We're going to be leaving here in a few weeks, and I wanted to get to know him as much as I could, before..." the pre-teen boy sighed. "Look... You have Candy and Grenda... Up until now, I've had no-one. Can't you just let me hang around someone else for a little while? I promise... It won't affect our relationship at all."

Dipper's words made sense to Mabel. Yes, her brother had been spending a lot of time by himself... Aside from a few futile attempts to join Wendy and her 'cool' posse. And, she understood why he would get a bit sick of her messing around with Waddles, and Candy and Grenda's stories of their latest crushes. She might have been a teensy bit selfish...

Even nerds needs other nerds as friends.

If only she had had this heart-to-heart with him before... Then, they could have reached a mutual understanding, it would have cleared the air, and everything would have been hunky-dory.

But, thanks to her ill thought-out, impulsive action...

Things may never be the same again.

"Er... D...d...d...dipper, that's not all..." She gave him a nervous laugh, while the cap wearing boy raised an eyebrow. "I might have kind of, sort of, maybe... Told Grunkle Stan something I shouldn't have..." She winced at these words, waiting for the inevitable response.

"What do you mean?" Dipper's smile turned into a concerned expression, and his brotherly hug became a grasp around the shoulders."What did you tell him?!" He asked, more urgently.

"W...w...w...well... You know the other day, when you were writing in your journal..." Mabel's apprehensive grin was in direct contrast to Dipper's slowly developing frown. "A...a...a...and I was doing some knitting, I might have seen something top secret that I shouldn't have. A...a...a...and just say, in a fit of anger, I told Grunkle Stan about it, B...b...b...because I wanted your attention..." Mabel's attempts at loosening the tension were going down like a lead balloon.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Dipper's fury was such that Mabel stepped back in alarm, before her brother could push her away." YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO DO THAT! THAT WAS BETWEEN ME AND FORD! AND NOW... NOW YOU'VE CREATED THIS SITUATION... JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE ENVIOUS OF ME?!" The pre-teen boy resembled Stan in a way, when he lost his temper... All red in the face and gnashing teeth.

"B..b...b...but D...d...d...dipper, we NEVER used to have secrets together!" pleaded Mabel, taking shelter in the corner.

"Well, 'dear sister' maybe times are changing." Dipper hissed. "Now, if you'll excuse me... I'm off to help sort out ANOTHER mess you've created. You just stay there... If you don't want to make things worse, that is..."

Having said that, Dipper went over to attempt to talk some sense into his Great Uncles. Mabel pressed herself against the wall, as if she was a chameleon who could just blend in and disappear.

What had she done?!

NEXT CHAPTER TOMORROW, FOLKS!


	3. Chapter 3

"STOP, YOU TWO!" Dipper desperately got between the pair of bitter old men.

The pre-teen had arrived just in time... Ford had gotten to his feet, and the two were having a good old-fashioned Mexican standoff.

"What is it boy... Can't you see that me and your Grunkle Ford are having a 'friendly' discussion here?" Stan was in no mood for small talk.

"I KNOW why you're upset." Dipper tugged onto the old man's arm. "But beating up your brother won't solve anything. Let's just all sit down and discuss this rationally..."

"Oh, so NOW'S the time you were going to tell me about that bottled time continuum that could destroy the planet?!" Stan growled, glaring down at his nephew. "Why, I'm so sorry. Let me go and make some tea..." he sarcastically remarked.

"Stanley, calm down..." Ford dared to approach his brother "It's not like we wanted to keep anything from you... It's just that..." the inventor's voice trailed off. He didn't want to be rude...

"Because you think I'm DUMB, isn't it...?" Stanley finished the sentence for him, making his brother's attempts at diplomacy pretty redundant. "Well, I APOLOGIZE for not being able to make dice that make fantasy creatures come alive, or long lasting light bulbs that soften your skin, or mind controlling ties. But, it's just... I've got slightly more important things to concern myself with... Like... THE. SAFETY. OF. THIS. FAMILY."

Those last five words were punctuated by Stanley shoving his finger into his brother's chest. Dipper looked at them both, unsure what he could say or do that could make things better. Mabel had now entered Sweatertown... Trying to block out the loud shouty noises that she was sure were all HER fault.

"Ever since you got back..." Stanley continued "You've caused nothing but trouble. Setting free slimy creatures in the Shack. Creating an evil wizard that nearly had my and your nephew's brains for lunch. Making a machine that caused me to act like a complete goofball in front of thousands of people. And, now... Encouraging our nephew to KEEP SECRETS from me?! ESPECIALLY something as deadly as THAT?! I'd LOVE to hear your explanation for putting everyone's lives in danger..." Stanley crossed his arms and looked as though he wouldn't be convinced, whatever the answer.

Ford, enraged after hearing what was completely overblown criticism (from his point of view), decided to hit back. "First of all, YES, I don't think you're smart enough to be trusted with what that device can do... In fact, figuring that fact out may be the most intelligent thing you've done." (The inventor then glanced at Dipper as if to say 'How did he find out about the time rift?' The cap wearer could only offer a shrug in response. He and his sister might have fallen out, but he wasn't about to snitch on her.)

"Next" Ford added "All those things you mentioned were regrettable, but something they all had in common was that they were all ACCIDENTS. I can't help it when sometimes my work goes wrong or gets misused. You just need to have a little patience, that's all. And as for the last thing... Well, Dipper here has been more help to me in the last few days than you have throughout your entire life. It took you THIRTY years to get me back. I bet the kid could have done it in half that time... And I could have finished the job in a microcosm." He stated, not without a hint of pride.

"Why, you ungrateful..." Stanley struggle to exert control of his temper in front of his niece and nephew."If it wasn't for me, you'd still be floating around in the middle of nowhere. And how do you pay me back? By turning the boy against me... And making Mabel here cry her heart out." He pointed at the girl, who was still in her imaginary world of flowers and rainbows, safe away from the unfolding argument.

"HUH, if anyone turned Dipper against you, it was yourself!" Ford derisively laughed at his brother's assumption, causing the pre-teen under discussion to slowly back away towards Mabel. The inventor might not know it yet, but he was entering dangerous territory. "I've heard about all that hard work you make him do... The stupid costumes you force him to wear. I don't know too much about the modern world... But that sounds like child slavery, right there". He stared at Stanley accusatorily.

"THAT WAS TO BUILD CHARACTER." Snarled Stanley. "And if you'd actually done some proper manual labour when you were a kid, perhaps you wouldn't have turned out to be such a wimp... Always relying on me for protection from the bullies that otherwise would have pummeled you into next week. I should have let them get to you... Maybe they could have beat some sense into that egghead of yours!"His face was turning so many different shades, it was like looking through a carpet catalogue.

" I think we both know who the disappointment is here." Stanford continued to push his brother's buttons. "Remember ruining my prize exhibit at the science fair? Remember losing our family potential MILLIONS? Remember getting kicked out, and becoming a small time crook? Remember turning my house into a den of thievery and lies? That role of shame wasn't me... IT...WAS...YOU." Ford followed his brother's example of jabbing him in the chest with those last three words.

As the pair argued, Dipper looked away for a minute, distressed at how things were going. He was also starting to feel a bit guilty for how harshly he spoke to Mabel... And, if he was a little upset in the present combustive atmosphere... Who knows how hard she was taking it...

He turned to the corner where she lurked just a minute ago...

But, there was no-one there.

'Uh-oh...' thought Dipper. 'I hope she's not going to do anything drastic. She does have a tendency to think she can solve everyone's problems by herself...

Meanwhile, things were getting heated between the two brothers...

"You foolish, simple minded, crooked, fibbing, old twister!" said Ford.

"You geeky, nerdy, annoying, full-of-himself old know-it-all! replied Stanley.

The two of them continued to glare daggers at each other after their little insult contest... And Dipper tensed himself for what was going to happen next...

"AARGH, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!" That was Stanley, finally breaking the silence, "Here, show me where that rift thingie is... I'M SENDING YOU BACK!" Stanley started rummaging around, trying to locate the valuable item.

"STANLEY, YOU CAN'T JUST..." Ford tried to stop his brother, but was just pushed to one side.

"CAN IT, POINDEXTER! I'LL FIND THAT THING WITH, OR WITHOUT YOUR HELP!" Stanley opened up another drawer, and there it was... The time paradox itself.

Ford mentally chastised himself... He SHOULD have put it away securely in a safe after examining it earlier. Oops.

"Is THIS it?" Stanley could tell by his brother's distressed reaction that it indeed was. "GOOD. Now, how can I get this thing to work...?" He mulled, while throwing it up and down and catching it.

"HEY, BE CAREFUL WITH THAT!" Shouted Ford, suddenly running over there."YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF YOU DROP THAT. WHY, THE WHOLE WORLD COULD..."

"Yeah, yeah... blow up into a kazillion pieces. Save it for Science Weekly, Ford... I'm sending you back to limbo right now... I'll not let you put MY family in danger with your wacky experiments again. Oh, and by the way... I'm KEEPING the shack." Stanley made to walk to the old area of the dimentional portal, to try and reactivate it.

"I WON'T LET YOU DO THAT, STANLEY!" Ford was so desperate to retrieve the prescious item, he took the uncharacteristic step of grabbing hold of his brother THAT THING IS LIKE A LIVE EXPLOSIVE... AND IN YOUR HANDS... WE'RE ALL AS GOOD AS DEAD! GIVE IT TO ME... NOW!"

"NO! YOU'RE LEAVING... TODAY! Stanley growled.

"LIKE HELL I AM!" Stanford sounded defiant.

"LET GO!" Stanley ordered, as the two grappled.

"NO!" Stanford continued to struggle with his brother.

Dipper watched all this with an impending sense of doom, and twisted loyalties.

Grunkle Stan he'd known the longest... And they'd been on many adventures together.

On the other hand... The old man had lied to him for months, and he never seemed happy with the pre-teen...

Grunkle Ford he'd struck on almost instant friendship with... And the two had so much in common...

On the other hand, there was much he didn't know about the man, and some of his interests seemed a little TOO bizarre.

And, it was in the middle of Dipper's deliberations...

And, the older twin's petty squabble...

That the container of the rift happened to slip from Stanley's grasp...

And drop towards the floor, as if in slow motion...

Dipper was too far away to catch it...

And his Grunkles were too busy with their dispute to notice...

It seemed like Armageddon was only a matter of seconds away.

The only thing on Dipper's mind...

OH ****.


	4. Chapter 4

Dipper's life flashed before his young eyes at that point...

His first kiss...

His first facial hair...

His first tattoo...

When he saved the planet...

Wait...

No, those were things he WANTED to do... But sadly might never get the chance to.

All because...

Of a stupid argument between his two Grunkles...

They were so full of mutual hatred towards each other...

Refusing to see each other's point of view...

Their old wounds open for everyone to see...

They didn't notice...

Something that could end all life as we know it...

Slowly hurtling towards the ground...

Yes, the Time Rift was in a highly fragile glass container...

And, on impact...

Would, in all likelihood,

Have an apocolyptic effect on the Earth.

And, the last thing Stan and Ford would ever experience on this mortal coil...

Was pain.

The pain of not being able to let go of the past...

The pain of not being able to cope with each other in the present...

The pain of separation that faced them in the future...

It was a tragedy...

That two brothers, who were once so close...

Could end up this way...

All because, of a stupid accident...

A petty feud...

And each one's stubbornness.

Was this REALLY how they wanted their last day on Earth to end?

With acrimony and bitterness?

Dipper shook his head at the pointless argument.

How absolutely stupid to bicker over something so trivial...

It really was pathetic how they couldn't just put their differences aside...

And make up...

Why waste time quarreling over the small stuff?

THEY WERE FAMILY.

They should be there for each other through thick and thin.

It was okay to air out some issues once in a while...

Clear the air a bit.

Calm things down.

But, to hold a grudge for 30 YEARS...

Madness.

Sheer madness.

That's when it hit Dipper...

Stan and Ford, right now...

Could easily be...

Him and Mabel...

Given a bit of time...

Things might seem minor at this moment...

But, as his Grunkles had proven...

Things could easily escalate...

Into...

Well, causing the destruction of the world.

But, even worse than that...

Dying, without ever knowing...

How the other twin truly felt.

He just wished she was here now...

So he could tell her...

How truly sorry he was.

True, there was fault on both sides...

But, knowing how sensitive she was...

How easily she took things to heart...

He shouldn't have snapped at her the way he did.

Maybe...

If they had another opportunity...

They could talk things out...

In a more calm collected way...

And then, perhaps...

They wouldn't end up...

Like the pair of geriatric pugilists in front of him...

Instead of siblings who shared a lifelong connection...

Which very few are lucky to have.

What Dipper wouldn't give...

For another 'do-over'...

But, there was no Blendin Blandin around now to fool...

No time measuring device to cover up his mistakes.

He was just going to have to accept.

That this was it.

And you know the absolute WORST part?

No-one else was aware how cruelly their lives...

Were about to be cut short...

Except for him.

What a burden for a 12 year old to have to carry...

At least he wouldn't have to dwell on it for long.

Here we go...

After what must be the longest final thought on record...

The Rift had finally almost completed it's slow descent to the ground...

Goodbye, cruel world...

At least Bill won't be getting his triangular mitts on Earth.

It'll be a burnt out husk by the time everything's finished.

Dipper braced himself for the impact...

Which never came.

He waited 5 seconds...

10 seconds...

15...

Hang on...

Something's not right here...

By all feasible probability...

We should be playing our hearts up in heaven by now...

Everything should be toast.

And, I...

I certainly shouldn't be able to be as self-aware as this...

What the...

Opening his right eye...

Just a teensy bit, from behind the palms of his hands...

Dipper dared to see what was keeping the planet from imploding.

What he saw...

Caused him to remove both of his hands from his face...

And gasp in shock.

There she was.

The lady of the hour.

The girl of the moment.

The true heroine.

Mabel.

On the ground...

Her right arm stretched as far as it would go...

Holding up the still intact Time Rift...

She'd returned from her little trip upstairs...

Spotted the danger just in time...

And, unlike Dipper who was quivering like a jelly...

With his eyes shut tight...

Had taken it upon herself...

To take a dive that a professional swimmer would be proud of...

And grab the explosive item...

Without a second to spare...

To prevent the rupture of the world.

Dipper was frozen in shock.

And awe.

What WAS it about this girl?

She ALWAYS seemed to have a knack...

For being in the right place at the right time...

And making the right decision.

It had happened once before, when the Time Portal had opened...

And now, it had occurred again.

She might be all eccentricities and fun on the surface...

But, when push came to shove...

He could ALWAYS rely on her.

She was his sister.

His twin.

Her name was Mabel.

And, he loved her.

That's when he noticed her condition...

She may have instigated a minor miracle by catching the Time Rift...

And saving all life...

But, right now...

Her hand was shaking...

She was just about to spill it...

The strain of stretching her arm so far...

While keeping hold of the glass case...

Was just too much...

Dipper instantly stopped his mental constipation.

He needed to take a leaf out of his sister's book.

And be a man of ACTION.

Straightaway, he ran forward...

Snatched the dangerous item from Mabel's fading grip...

And put it where it belonged...

In a secure drawer.

Next to the bubble wrap.

Where it couldn't lead to a new Dark Age.

After closing it...

And, completely out of breath...

(Despite his lack of any recent physical exercise)

Dipper turned round to his sister...

And simply nodded at her...

For a Job Well Done.

Mabel grinned back at her bro-bro.

THE MYSTERY TWINS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!

No words needed to be exchanged

Nothing more required to be said.

They knew they had each other's back

By that one close-call alone

That seemed to encapsulate every near-death encounter

They'd experienced that summer, together

In one little package.

And, the fact they'd survived them all...

Was mostly down to dumb luck...

But some of it, at least...

Had got to be down to...

That special bond only twin siblings could possibly have...

That even their own mother and father wouldn't understand...

And, to think...

They almost lost that...

Over something, so...

Petty.

Suddenly, it occurred to both Dipper and Mabel...

That perhaps silent acknowledgement WASN'T enough...

Dipper's eyes began to water...

Mabel on, the other hand...

Was fully bawling away.

SOB SOB!

She got up...

Ran over to her brother

And literally tackled him to the floor...

Hugging him as if her very life depended on it.

(Actually, it did... just a few seconds ago...)

Dipper, usually embarrassed by such an open display of affection...

(He always thought himself as 'the big man after all...)

Lost all of his pride and cyncism for just a minute...

And embraced his sister with the same spirit of affection

This was no 'awkward sibling hug'

This was the genuine. heartfelt reforging of a lifelong connection...

That was very nearly severed for good.

Even Waddles, oinking down the stairs at that very moment...

Jumping straight onto Dipper's head...

Squashing his freshly washed cap in the process...

Couldn't spoil the mood between the two reacquainted siblings.

Life was good...

Life would go on...

And, they intended to make the most out of every single day...

Meanwhile, watching on...

And completely forgotten about in all this melee...

Grunkles Ford and Stanley...

Both unused to such public spectacles of familial love...

Were nervously looking at their niece and nephew...

And, then at each other.

The kids making up as emphatically as that...

And saving the Earth, together...

Reminded them of something...

A memory from long back...

Of two young boys...

Riding their bikes together, on the coast

Complete opposites, for all intents and purposes...

One, smart as a whip

The other, as strong as a lion.

The original Mystery Twins...

They didn't always see eye to eye...

And indeed, got in more fights then they could remember...

But, like Dipper and Mabel now...

They ALWAYS made up in the end...

They NEVER let an argument go on for too long...

Because, after all...

If you haven't got family...

What else was there left?

But, after everything that had happened...

After so much time...

After all that had been said...

And done...

Was there REALLY a way back for them?

Could they REALLY let bygones be bygones...

And just 'move on'?

One thing was for sure...

They certainly wouldn't be rolling around on the floor...

In an unbridled celebration of brotherly love...

Both men were too proud for that...

Too stubborn...

Their grandkids were putting them to shame in this regard.

But, perhaps...

There was a way...

They could reach common ground...

They didn't have to humiliate themselves...

In an open exhibition of sappy sentiment...

They didn't even have to talk to each other, much

At first...

But, for the sake of their grandchildren...

And each other...

They could attempt to work things through...

By living under the same roof...

Going about their day-to-day routine...

Gradually getting to know each other again...

It would be a long and arduous process...

Lasting long beyond this Summer...

Which would mean Ford wouldn't quite get his shack back just yet.

But, the pair were willing...

To give it a go.

It might just all crash and burn...

And end their relationship even worse than before.

But, they'd try.

Damn it, they'd try.

Realising both were thinking the same thing...

Each brother eyed each other wearily...

Silently.

Stan was the first to react.

Spitting on his hand...

He extended his palm over to his brother...

Meaning for him to shake it.

Ford, stared at the fingers of his estranged brother...

Before shaking his head.

WHAT?!

Stan was momentarily shocked

Had they really come this far...

For his knucklehead sibling...

To ruin it all at the last minute?

The fez wearer had nothing to worry about, though.

Ford had something better in mind.

Laying out his flat palm...

He took his brother's hand...

And before Stan knew what was happening...

He was being given an HIGH-SIX.

By the genius freak-of-nature himself.

Maybe just a small gesture, in the great scheme of things...

But to Stan, it meant the world.

The long, difficult road to conciliation would start here...

The odds were against it...

He knew that, as a professional gambler.

But this was the one time...

He was willing to put his cards on the table...

And take a leap into the unknown.

The two brothers nodded at each other...

Before turning back to their niece and nephew.

The pair of kids had long since picked themselves off the dusty ground.

Best friends they were again.

And were now sitting, side by side...

With a certain pig curled up by Mabel's feet...

Studying a book with great interest.

The two grunkles, intrigued, decided to investigate.

For a change, the book under study...

WASN'T any of the journals.

Even nerds like Dipper need a break from mysteries sometimes.

Instead, it was an album full of photos.

A photo album, if you like.

Now being pored over by the younger twins.

Mabel had gone to fetch it from the upper floor...

While Stan and Ford were still in the middle of their angry feud...

And Dipper was despairing in the middle of the room...

She thought that bringing back some old memories...

Would rekindle her older relations's friendship with each other...

And make everything right again.

As it turned out...

This wasn't necessary...

Some problems just have a way of working themselves out...

But, seeing as how she'd gone to all the trouble...

Of fetching it in the first place...

It seemed like a wasted effort to just put it back...

So, now the junior Pines...

Were laughing at some of the treasured images...

Cooing over the baby pictures...

While wondering why everything was in black and white.

Seeing what all the fuss was about...

Brought an uncontrollable grin to both Stan and Ford's faces...

And, putting to one side all the bickering...

Shouting...

And just the general all-round chaos, of minutes earlier...

They sat on that dusty floor with their niece and nephew...

Telling them all about the family they'd never met...

Their money obsessed, fame hungry grandfather...

His hard working, put upon wife...

And, Shermie...

The sister that neither Ford or Stan even knew that well...

Along with amusing stories of their own childhood...

Until fate tore them apart.

And, one and all...

In the basement of that rundown old building that day...

Wounds started to heal...

Alliances began to be mended...

And, a family that had drifted so far away from each other...

Started to reform again.

It was really all just a distraction from what was to follow...

Bill was still coming...

THE END WAS NIGH...

Nothing had changed there.

But, in a sense...

They'd taken a great step towards their own survival.

After all, the old saying is true:

"Together we stand...

Divided, we fall".

And, the fact that this long at-war family...

Was finally putting aside their differences...

To support each other in their hour of need...

Gave them more strength than a million unicorn hairs.

WATCH, OUT BILL!

The Pines are coming for you.

And, we will win.

[Thought I'd set myself a challenge, by writing the final chapter without any conversational dialogue. I thought I did pretty well, as it happens. I hope you enjoyed. Til' next time... :) ]


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